In memory of our Beloved Father, Ernie Simon. One of a Kind..... Ernest Simon, 96, a retired candy manufacturer and former CEO of Squareshooter Candy Company, died on November 10th, 2019, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Ernie was born in Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) in the former Czechoslovakia, on February 26th, 1923, the younger of two children born to Carl and Ida (Neubauer) Simon. After the outbreak of WWII at age 17, Ernie’s parents sent him to Tel Aviv to escape the invasion of the Nazis. Ernie lived on a kibbutz while he fought in the Jewish brigade of the British army. After the War, Ernie returned to his hometown to search for family members, only to learn that his parents had died in the Warsaw Ghetto and all other relatives had perished in the Holocaust. He escaped Carlsbad just before the Communists took power, and ended up in a displaced persons camp in Germany. There, he met the love of his life, Adelaide (Adi) F. Rybka, who became his wife. Together, they scrimped and saved enough to immigrate to the United States in 1950, where they settled in Rock Island, Illinois. Ernie, who spoke 6 languages when he arrived in the U.S., began working for Lusk Candy Co. in Davenport, IA, as a janitor and truck driver, and through hard work, made his way up to become the Vice President of Operations. In 1977, Simon accepted a position as President of Squareshooter Candy Company, moving to Overland Park, Kansas, where he worked until his retirement in 1997, when he and Adi moved to Boynton Beach, Florida. Ernie was honest, hard-working and lived the American Dream. In his business as in life, Simon never tired of his passions —for providing confectionery treats or for his love and success at golf. At the age of 88, he won a golf tournament by beating his age, scoring 83. His greatest passion, of course, was his family. In addition to Adi, his wife of 70 years, Simon is survived by his four children: Bob (and Debby) Simon of Overland Park, KS; Herb Simon of Littleton, CO; Judy Simon of Prairie Village, KS; and Linda Simon of Manhattan Beach, CA; as well as six grandchildren: Benjamin, Alex (and Rachel), Jorie, Adam, A.J., and Hope. Ernie was preceded in death by his daughter-in-law, Erin, of Littleton, CO. A memorial service will be held in West Palm Beach, FL. Contributions in his memory may be made to The Jewish Distribution Committee (JDC.org).